Attachment is at the root of most mental illnesses, according to Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities. The report was written by a group of 33 leading children’s doctors, neuroscientists, research scholars and mental health professionals. Of these mental disorders, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is often misunderstood or undiagnosed. Most local therapists know little about it. While all professional therapists have heard of disorders such as Oppositional Defiance Disorder, OCD, ADHD and anxiety disorders, few are familiar or experienced in the treatment of RAD. Due to current research and more accurate diagnoses, however, this is changing.

Therapeutic Parenting Specialist Nancy Thomas has been working with challenged and challenging children for over 25 years, including those that have been diagnosed with RAD.

A seminar attendee and Turning Point Camp Director Jennie Landreth’s own adopted daughter was diagnosed with RAD. For years, Ms. Landreth was the target of her daughter’s rage and anxiety that was, some say, caused by trauma she experienced before her adoption.

“We had gotten to the end of our rope and were terrified of what lay ahead for our daughter. We had tried everything,” said Ms. Landreth. “We sought help from every professional we could find and still just ended up watching our daughter get worse and worse. When we heard about this camp and the seminars from Nancy Thomas, we went immediately. It was the first time we saw any progress with our daughter. These seminars are being brought to Chattanooga for other families dealing with challenging children and for educators that want to regain control of their classroom. Educators can replace the challenges of behavior management with techniques used by schools across the nation to increase actual learning time, helping students focus and regain control. These seminars will also equip professionals with tools and techniques to help families so desperate for answers, the answers that we sought for our daughter and were unable to find.”

Seminars will be Oct. 17 and 18, by highly-sought-after author and Therapeutic Parenting Specialist Nancy Thomas. These seminars are available to educators and mental health professionals and may potentially be used as continuing education credits and professional development hours. With only two weeks left to register, the seminars are filling up fast and seating is limited, so for more information or to register, visit http://www.turningpointcamp.com/index.php/seminar/.

Here are the Cleveland City Schools activities for this week: Cleveland City Schools Board of Education will host a Ribbon Cutting and Opening House for the F.I. Denning Center of Technology and Careers on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m. at 350 Central Ave. Retired Director of Schools, Dr. Rick Denning, will officially open the new hybrid non-traditional school. ... (click for more)

Cleveland State Community College will be offering a class for teachers this fall entitled INFS/EDU 1100, Technology for Teachers. The class will cover basics of the Microsoft Office programs and an overview of common classroom technologies. “I think the key point of this class is that it will not just be a computer class but a computer class that is specifically designed for ... (click for more)

Michael Futrell, 38, was shot by Corey Mullinax, 25, Saturday night in Cleveland at approximately 9:15 p.m. T he shooting occurred at Forest Grove Apartments at 2350 Blackburn Road SE. According to multiple witness statements, the victim, Mr. Futrell, walked over to the vehicle of Mullinax, where the two were speaking. The suspect then shot the victim in the torso. ... (click for more)

Javier Lansden, 18, was shot early Sunday morning on West 38th Street. At approximately 2:47 a.m., the Chattanooga Police Department responded to 264 Water Street for a person shot. Officers found that the shooting occurred at 263 West 38 th Street. The victim stated he was sitting on his bicycle at 263 West 38 th Street, when a dark-colored ... (click for more)

Chattanooga is my home; I was born here 35 years ago. Without a doubt, this has been one of the most challenging times in our city's history. The #ChattanoogaStrong hashtag will remain for quite some time, but it means so much more than 18 characters on social media. It represents the sorrow and mourning, as well as the resilience and compassion, of our exceptional community. ... (click for more)

UPDATE: A spokesman for the U.S. Navy on Sunday denied reports that disciplinary charges will be filed against Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White for discharging an unauthorized weapon on federal property. According to a post of Facebook and other social media sites, a statement reads, “Stories of Navy personnel being charges with an offense are not true. There is still a long way ... (click for more)